Service entrance cable connector



March 17, 1942. H. H. HEINICHEN 2,276,969

SERVICE ENTRANCE CABLE CONNECTOR Filed June 22, 1939 Patented Mar. 17,1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SERVICE ENTRANCE CABLE CONNECTOR HarryH. Heinichen, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 22, 1939, Serial No. 280,485

2 Claims.

The invention relates to service entrance cable connectors and has asits general aim the provision of new and improved means for establishinga secure, water-tight connection between the entering portionof aservice cable or the like and an electrical device or fitting as, forexample, an outdoor meter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved deviceof this character which is of simple inexpensive construction and isconveniently adjustable for proper association with the cable.

Another object is to provide a novel connector which embodies a casingenclosing an assembly through which the service cable extends, theassembly being rotatably supported by the casing for adjustment toreceive the cable and including means for compressing a distortablemember by a force applied in a straight axial line into grippingengagement with the cable and with the casing to establish a secureconnection.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingdescription and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a view in axial section through a connector device embodyingthe features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in cable securing position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig, 4 is an expanded view showing the parts of the device inperspective.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, I I

have shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail thepreferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not therebyintend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intendto cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appendedclaims.

The entrance of service cables to such electrical devices as meters,particularly those located out of doors, offers difficulties since theentrance opening must be tightly sealed against moisture, and the cablemust be firmly secured to the electrical device, yet the connector mustbe inexpensive and easy and convenient to use. According to the presentinvention, a connector is provided which meets and fulfills thesedifficulties and requirements and possesses other advantageous featuresas will hereinafter be more particularly set forth.

In the exemplary form of device which illustrates the features of theinvention, the numeral 10 designates the outer wall of an electricaldevice, such as an outdoor meter, and the wall is provided with aninternally screw threaded boss H defining an entrance opening. Theconnector, in the present instance, includes a tubular, generallycylindrical casing, indicated generally at l2, having an enlarged outerend [3 in which the connector assembly I4 is mounted and a reduced innerend I5 externally screw threaded for engagement with the screw threadson the bosses II. The internal diameter of the reduced casing end I5 isample to permit a cable [6 to pass freely through it.

The connector assembly [4, as shown in Fig. 4, preferably is a unitaryarrangement of several elements including inner and outer compressionmembers I! and I8, respectively, and an intermediate member I9 formed ofa resilient material, such as rubber, which is characterized in that itis readily distortable and compressible. All of the members ll, I8 andI9 are, in the present instance, in the form of circular disksdimensioned to fit snugly yet relatively freely within the larger orouter end of the casing. The inner and outer members may be fashioned ofmetal or other material which is sufliciently sturdy and rigid to standthe strains imposed thereon.

All of the members l1, l8 and I9 have enlarged, centrally locatedapertures 20, 2| and 22, respectively, of approximately the same sizeand shape. Herein these apertures are illustrated (Figs. 3 and 4) asbeing somewhat elongated to receive a cable that is generally oval incross section. It will be evident, however, that the shape of theopenings may be varied to accommodate other types of cables, The outer,intermediate and inner members [8, l9 and I! have correspondingdiametrical apertures 23, 24 and 25, respectively, to receive headedscrews 26 which extend loosely through the apertures 23 and 24, and havescrew threaded engagement with the apertures 25 in the inner member.These screws are the means by which the compression members are drawntogether to exert a compressing, distorting force on the intermediatemember IS.

The intermediate member is of such thickness that compression thereofproduces a substantial lateral expansion both outwardly of its peripheryand inwardly of the opening 22. Hence, when the compression disks aredrawn together, the intermediate member will be distorted into seto curebinding engagement with the internal wall of the casing and with theexternal surface of any type of cable extending through the connectingassembly. The relative positions of the parts before and afterdistortion of the intermediate member is shown respectively in Figs. 1and 2. It will be noted that the distortion of the rubber disk isproduced by a force applied in a straight line, axial direction and thatthe disk is never subjected to the tearing, shearing action that wouldresult from compression by means of relatively rotatable members. Therubber disk, therefore, has a long life and the connection with a cablemay be repeatedly made and broken without injuring the disk.

The connector assembly may be suitably se cured to the casing tomaintain assembly of the parts when the device is not in use. Thus, theouter disk is is somewhat larger in diameter than the inner disk I! andthe marginal portion of the outer disk is arranged to seat in a rabbetedgroove 21 formed internally of the casing at the outer end thereof.Preferably, the outer margin of the casing is inwardly distorted, as at28, into overlying relation to the face of the outer disk. Thisarrangement holds the connector assembly within the casing and againstaxial movement relative thereto. Preferably, however, the connection isloose to permit the connector assembly to be rotated relative to thecasing. This arrangement enables the user to adjust the connectorassembly to any position of an oval cable and avoids the necessity oftwisting the cable so that it may properly enter an electrical devicethrough a receiving opening having a fixed position.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that a novel service entrancecable connector has been provided which is of simple and inexpensiveconstruction yet is efficient in operation. In use, the connector isscrewed into the boss H by means of a tool supplied to flats 29 formedexternally of the casing. The cable is then led into the electricaldevice through the openings 21, 22 and 20 in the connector assembly, theassembly being rotatably adjusted to aline the cable openings thereinfor proper reception of the cable. The cable is finally secured to theconnector by tightening the screws 26 to compress the disk into asecure, water-tight, holding engagement with the cable and the innerwall of the casing.

I claim as my invention:

1. A service entrance cable connector comprising, in combination, ahollow casing having an open outer face, and a connector assemblymounted in said casing adjoining and traversing said open face, saidassembly having a central opening therein to receive a cable and permitit to extend through said casing and including inner and outercompression members, an intermediate distortable member, and screw meansextending through said outer and intermediate members and engaged withsaid inner member, said casing having an internal rabbeted groove at theopen outer face end thereof, said outer member being larger than theother of said members to engage said groove, and said casing beingdistorted over the outer margin of said outer member to secure saidassembly for rotation and against axial movement relative to saidcasing.

2. A service entrance cable connector construction comprising, incombination, an open ended tubular casing having a threaded inner endportion of reduced diameter for connection to a meter box, and anenlarged internally cylindrical opposite end portion; a cable-engagingassembly including a pair of round compression disks of differentdiameters and a compressible member interposed between said disks and ofsubstantially the same diameter as the smaller of the disks; said disksand said member having registering apertures therethrough dimensionedclosely to encircle a cable of non-circular cross section extendingthrough the casing; said smaller disk and said compressible member beingwholly received within said chamber; an internal rabbet groove at theouter end of said casing providing a seat for the larger of said disks;outer marginal portions of said casing being turned over to secure saidlarger disk in place for rotary but non-axial adjustment to accommodateany disposition of said non-circular cross section of the cable withinsaid casing; and a plurality of screws extending into said casing infreely rotatable relation through said larger disk and said member andhaving threaded engagement with said smaller disk to draw the lattertoward the larger disk and distort said member by compression intobinding engagement with said casing and the cable.

HARRY H. HEINICHEN.

